Friendly Tech and Compassionate Humans Drive Innovative Interventions to Help the Chronically Lonely

The following is a guest article by Cindy Jordan, CEO at Pyx Health The idea of loneliness as something that impacts health isn’t novel. For years, medical professionals have written and spoken about its impact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links it to serious health conditions. However, common misconceptions around loneliness persist: that it is “fixable” by being near others, that it is simply a “feeling” someone is experiencing, that it only impacts the elderly or that technology always makes loneliness worse. Those positions don’t do justice to the devastation that loneliness causes. It’s a medical condition that leads to overutilization of the health care system and potential consequences for human life. It is also not limited to any single age group or demographic. Miscalculations about the impact and reach of loneliness have led to a lack of effective, evidence-based treatments. The science behind loneliness includes numerous studies and hard data. However, health care organizations must wade through many misconceptions to get to the root of loneliness and understand how technology and human connection play a vital role in addressing it. Social isolation and loneliness aren’t the same We all know more about social isolation after the pandemic. The impact of isolation can be devastating on mental and physical health. But although isolation is a societal problem, it’s not synonymous with chronic loneliness. Simply having others i...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: Ambulatory Communication and Patient Experience Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System Cindy Jordan Health Payers Human Connection loneliness Pyx Health SDOH Social Determinants of Health technology Source Type: blogs